Display rack with folding shelves



Feb. 15, 1966 c. E. HALLOCK ETAL 3,235,096

DISPLAY RACK WITH FOLDING SHELVES Filed March 17, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS far/ (5 62/100 125 1966 c. E. HALLOCK ETAL 3,235,096

DISPLAY RACK WITH FOLDING SHELVES Filed March 17, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J0 inning:

INVENTORS 50/"/ 5 644140062? United States Patent 3,235,096 DISPLAY RACK WITH FOLDING SHELVES Carl E. Hallock, 961 San Dirnas anyon Road, San Dimas, Calif., and William E. Morgan, 10008 Marnice Ave., Tujunga, Calif.

Filed-Mar. 17, 1964,-Ser. No. 352,583 Claims. (Cl. 211-149) This invention relates to the general field of supporting devices and, more specifically, the instant invention pertains to foldable or collapsible racks.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a portable collapsible or foldable rack to support bakery trays and other containers, or to provide display rack apparatus for merchandise such as radios, paints, television sets, jewelry cases, and other articles.

A further object of this invention is to provide a collapsible rack of the type to which reference has been made that may be supported from, a horizontal rod, the upper end of a door, the upper end of an oven, refrigerator, or other means which afford the rack a purchase.

Another object of this invention is to provide a substantially open rack frame having shelves foldable from a substantially upright inoperative position to a substantially horizontal operative position together with means to hold and lock the shelves in their respective horizontal operative positions.

This invention contemplates, as a still further object thereof, the provision of a foldable or collapsible rack of the type generally described supra, the rack being so constructed as to occupy but limited space when the shelves are disposed in their respective inoperative positions whereby the rack may be conveniently stored when not in use. I

A still further object of this invention is to provide a .foldable or collapsible rack which is non-complex in construction and assembly, inexpensive to manufacture and maintain, and which is durable in use.

Other and further objects and advantages of the instant invention will become more evident from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which: 7

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a foldable or collapsible rack constructed according to this invention, FIGURE 1 showing the shelves of the rack in their substantially horizontal operative positions;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the rack shown in FIGURE 1, FIGURE 2 illustrating the shelves as having been turned to their inoperative positions;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the display rack shown in FIGURE 1, FIGURE 3 being partly broken away and partly in cross-section to illustrate more clearly the component elements of the rack;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, detail, cross-sectional view, FIGURE 4 being taken substantially on the horizontal plane of line 4-4 of FIGURE 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary, detail, crosssectional view, FIGURE 5 being taken substantially on the vertical plane of line 5-5 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary top plan view, FIGURE 6 being taken substantially on the horizontal plane of line 6-6 of FIGURE 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Before detailing the several components of the elements of the apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention, it will be understood that the invention is not limited in this application to the specific details of construction and the arrangement of the parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since it is obvious that the invention is readily adaptable to other embodiments and may be practiced or carried out in sundry ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is solely for the purpose of description and not by way of limitation.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10 designates, in general, a display rack with folding shelves constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention. The display rack 10 is seen to comprise a substantially open rectangular support frame 12 formed of a pair of laterally-spaced, confronting, vertically-extending, identical L-shaped members 14, 16 each having a vertically extending, substantially rectangular back plate 18 and a substantially rectangular flange 20 projecting perpendicularly from a longitudinally-extending marginal edge of the back plate 18. The back plates 18 are parallel to one another with adjacent edges confronting one another, and the flanges 20 project from the remotely-disposed edges of the back plates 18 in confronting parallel relation with respect to each other.

Extending between the back plates 18 adjacent the upper ends thereof is a substantially rectangular brace member 22 and a similar brace member 24 extends between the back plates 18 adjacent the lower ends thereof. The brace members 22, 24 are fixedly secured to the back plates 18 as by bolts 26, lock washers 28, and nuts 30.

Reference numeral 32 denotes, generally, a plurality of substantially open U-shaped shelves each of which comprises a pair of identically constructed, spaced, confronting angles 34, 36. Each of the angles 34, 36, respectively, comprises a vertical flange 38 and a horizontal flange 40. The flanges 38 of each shelf 32 are parallel, as are the flanges 40. The bight of each. shelf 32 comprises an elongated substantially rectangular, rigid strap 42, the opposed ends of the strap 42 being connected to the upper sides of a pair of adjacent ends of the flanges as by bolts 44, lock washers 46 and nuts 48. The inner ends of the flanges 38 are positioned flush with respect to the inner sides of the flanges 20 and are pivotally connected thereon by bolts 50 and nuts :52. The bolts 50 are tightened sufliciently to frictionally hold the shelves 32 upright when pivoted from theirrespective horizontal operation positions, as shown in FIGURES l and 3, to their upright inoperative positions, as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

The inner ends of the flanges 38 are arcuately-shaped as at 54 to provide clearance from the back plates 18 when the shelves 32 are pivoted into and out of their operative and inoperative positions, but the radius between the center of each bolt 50 and the adjacent end of the flange 40 is such as to cause engagement and a locking of the flanges 40 with the back plates 18 to releasably hold each shelf 32 substantially horizontal when pivoted from its inoperative position shown in FIGURE 2 to its operative position, as is illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 3. Fixedly connected to each of the upper ends of the back plates 18, respectively, is an elongated, substantially rectangular stem 55 of an inverted substantially J-shaped hook 56 having a downwardlyopening bight 58. The stems 55 are fixedly secured to the back plates 18 by the same bolts 26, lock washers 28 and nuts 30 which are employed to fixedly connect the brace member 22 to the upper ends of the back plates 18.

The bights 58 are adapted to engage over, for example, a horizontally-extending, cylindrical rod 60 which may be fixedly connected to the upper end of a bakery oven 62 having a door 64 hingedly connected thereto, as at 66.

To each of the back plates 18, proximate the lower end thereof, is fixedly connected a spacer member 68. Each spacer member 68 includes an axially-elongated,

URESZ, 3 and 5)'in one end of which is inserted a solid substantially cylindrical plug 72 formed of a resilient material, such as rubber. The outer end of the plug 72'terminates in an enlarged arcuately-shaped head 74 which, at its inner end, has a shoulder 76 abutting the outer end of the housing 70. The plug 72 is formed with an axially-extending bore 78, and the head 74 is counterbored at 80. The bore 78 receives the threaded shank 82 of a bolt 84 having its head 86 seated in the counterbore 80. As is seen in FIGURES 3 and 5, the shanks 82 of the bolts 84 extend through the back plates 18 and receive thereon the lock washers 88 and nuts 90.

The shoulder 76 of each plug 72 prevents the latter from being drawn into the housing 70 when the nuts 90 are tightened. v

The arrangement of the spacers 68 relative to the hooks 56 is such that with the hooks 56 mounted on the rod 60 the enlarged heads 74 abut against the door 64 to hold the L-shaped members 14, 16 spaced from the oven 62 and in a normally vertical position. Reference numeral 92 generally designates a conventional baking pan for bakery products 94. The pan 92 is substantially rectangular in configuration and is formed with an elon- I gated substantially rectangular bottom wall 96 from the peripheral marginal edge of which upwardly extends an outwardly-flaring continuous sidewall 98.

To utilize the rack 10, and assuming that the same is supported from the rod 60 in the manner described above, and with the arcuate heads 74 of the plug 72 engaging against the door 64 of the oven 62, and with the shelves 32 being lowered to their operative positions, as

illustrated in FIGURES land 3, the user of the device inserts the pans 92 between the feet 40 and the strap 42 ration of the container 92, the container 92 could be supported merely on the feet 40 of each shelf 32 or on the feet 40 and on the upper side of the strap 42.

When the use of the rack is no longer required, the shelves 32 may be pivoted about their respective bolts 50 from their normally horizontal positions to their inoperative vertically-extending positions as shown in FIG- URE 2. .This affords the user increased working space which would not normally be available to him were the shelves 32 fixedly held against the aforementioned pivotal movement. When the user of the rack ltlfinds that there is'no immediate demand for its use, the rack 10, with the shelves 32 thereof disposed in their inoperative positions,

may be moved from the rod 60 for storage in any convenient space.

While the above description has described the rack 10 in conjunction with an oven 62, it is obvious that the hook 56 may be supported from th e upper end of a door,

for example, or any other horizontal support which will afford the hook 56 with a purchase.

Having described and illustrated one embodiment of ,this invention in detail, it will be understood that the same is olfered merely by way of example, and that this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A display rack comprising a pair of laterally-spaced elongated and substantially parallel angle side frame .mer'nbe'rs'each having a substantially rectangular back plate and a substantially rectangular flange projecting perpendicularly from a longitudinally-extending marginal edge of said back plate, a plurality of vertically-spaced normally horizontal U-shaped shelves each having a bight from the opposed ends of which, respectively, project laterally an angle having a free end and including a vertical flange and a horizontal flange, the horizontal flange projecting inwardly of said "vertical flange, means pivotally connecting said'vertical'flanges to the adjacent perpendicular flanges of said side frame members, said shelves being pivoted from an upright position to a horizontal position and vice versa, and said horizontal flanges adjacent said free ends of said vertical flanges each having an end engageable with the adjacent back plate of said side frame members, respectively, to hold each of said shelves in its horizontal position.

2. A display rack as defined in claim 1, and an elongated substantially rectangular brace extending between and being'fixedly secured to said back plates proximate each adjacent pair of ends thereof.

- 3. A display rack as defined in claim=2, wherein each of saidvertical flanges is arcuately-shaped adjacent the freeends of said angles to provide clearance between said angles and adjacent portions of said back plates as said shelves are pivoted.

4. A display rack as defined in claim 3, and an inverted I-shaped hook for each of said side frame members, each of said hooks having a stem portion fixedly connected with said back plates adjacent the upper ends thereof, and each of said hooks having an arcuate bight for engagement over a horizontal support.

5. A display rack as defined in claim '4, and means to space said display rack laterally from an adjacent vertically-extending structure, said means comprising an axially-elongated substantially hollow cylindrical housing, a substantially cylindrical plug having an end thereof disposed within one end of said housing and the other end of said plug projecting beyond said one end of said housing, and means extending through said plug and through said back plates to fixedly connect each of said plugs and housings to said back plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Patterson a l 108-2 C LAUD E LEiRGYiPrihzary Examiner. 

1. A DISPLAY RACK COMPRISING A PAIR OF LATERALLY-SPACED ELONGAGED AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL ANGLE SIDE FRAME MEMBERS EACH HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR BACK PLATE AND A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR FLANGE PROJECTING PERPENDICULARLY FROM A LONGITUDINALLY-EXTENDING MARGINAL EDGE OF SAID BACK PLATE, A PLUARLITY OF VERTICALLY-SPACED NORMALLY HORIZONTAL U-SHAPED SHELVES EACH HAVING A BIGHT FROM THE OPPOSED ENDS OF WHICH, RESPECTIVELY, PROJECT LATERALLY AN ANGLE HAVING A FREE END AND INCLUDING A VERTICAL FLANGE AND A HORIZONTAL FLANGE, THE HORIZONTAL FLANGE PROJECTING INWARDLY OF SAID VERTICAL FLANGE, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID VERTICAL FLANGES TO THE ADJACENT PERPENDICULAR FLANGES OF SAID SIDE FRAME MEMBERS, SAID SHELVES BEING PIVOTED FROM AN UPRIGHT POSITION TO A HORIZONTAL POSITION AND VICE VERSA, AND SAID HORIZONTAL FLANGES ADJACENT SAID FREE ENDS OF SAID VERTICAL FLANGES EACH HAVING AN END ENGAGEABLE WITH THE ADJACENT BACK PLATE OF SAID SIDE FRAME MEMBERS, RESPECTIVELY, TO HOLD EACH OF SAID SHELVES IN ITS HORIZONTAL POSITION. 